2008 Woodie Awards
A Sandwich of Song and One Compositional Blip
Anita Rogers
Issue date: 3/29/05 Section: Arts & Culture
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Sunday, January 23
Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall
The MET Orchestra
James Levine, Music Director and Conductor
Anne Sofie von Otter, Mezzo-Soprano
Ben Heppner, Tenor
Carl Maria Von Weber, Overture to Oberon
Elliott Carter, Variations for Orchestra
Gustav Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde
The program began with a vigorous overture to Carl Maria von Weber's (1786-1826) three act opera "Oberon" (1826). The overture is more famous than the opera itself, which is rarely performed. The Met orchestra, led by James Levine, played this with effortless fluidity. But the successful opening was damaged by the following piece, "Variations for Orchestra" (1956) by Elliot Carter (b.1908), the New York born composer who was present at this performance. This cacophonous showcase of ten variations, many of them of clearly identifiable character, is more of a technical exercise than a musical movement. "Variations for Orchestra" (written 1953-55) was rudely sandwiched between the Weber and Mahler, for reasons beyond understanding.
Levine and the Met Orchestra were first class in tonight's performance of Gustav Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde" (The Song of the Earth, 1907), a six-movement symphony that sets German translations of eighth century Chinese poems of nature. The first movement "Drinking Song of the Earth's Troubles" investigates the conflict between our often uneasy existence and the beauty of nature. At the beginning of the movement we hear "Dunkel is das Leben, ist der Tod" (Dark is life, is death), which is a recurring theme throughout the piece. The two soloists, Canadian tenor, Ben Heppner and Swedish Mezzo, Anne Sophie von Otter, were both in a class of their own: economy. Both voices were weak, and unsuitable for the piece. Ben Heppner's prior vocal problems were fairly disguised, but his sharp, and sometimes tight, narrow vocal quality lacked the richness and freedom necessary to produce a good performance of "Das Lied von der Erde."
Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall
The MET Orchestra
James Levine, Music Director and Conductor
Anne Sofie von Otter, Mezzo-Soprano
Ben Heppner, Tenor
Carl Maria Von Weber, Overture to Oberon
Elliott Carter, Variations for Orchestra
Gustav Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde
The program began with a vigorous overture to Carl Maria von Weber's (1786-1826) three act opera "Oberon" (1826). The overture is more famous than the opera itself, which is rarely performed. The Met orchestra, led by James Levine, played this with effortless fluidity. But the successful opening was damaged by the following piece, "Variations for Orchestra" (1956) by Elliot Carter (b.1908), the New York born composer who was present at this performance. This cacophonous showcase of ten variations, many of them of clearly identifiable character, is more of a technical exercise than a musical movement. "Variations for Orchestra" (written 1953-55) was rudely sandwiched between the Weber and Mahler, for reasons beyond understanding.
Levine and the Met Orchestra were first class in tonight's performance of Gustav Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde" (The Song of the Earth, 1907), a six-movement symphony that sets German translations of eighth century Chinese poems of nature. The first movement "Drinking Song of the Earth's Troubles" investigates the conflict between our often uneasy existence and the beauty of nature. At the beginning of the movement we hear "Dunkel is das Leben, ist der Tod" (Dark is life, is death), which is a recurring theme throughout the piece. The two soloists, Canadian tenor, Ben Heppner and Swedish Mezzo, Anne Sophie von Otter, were both in a class of their own: economy. Both voices were weak, and unsuitable for the piece. Ben Heppner's prior vocal problems were fairly disguised, but his sharp, and sometimes tight, narrow vocal quality lacked the richness and freedom necessary to produce a good performance of "Das Lied von der Erde."
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